1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing apparatus that displays a power consumption value.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, printing apparatuses are known that can calculate and provide users a power consumption value. For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei 7-129042 teaches an image forming apparatus that calculates and displays a power consumption value.
On the other hand, the awareness among users and companies about environmental protection has increased with the start of the “International Energy Star Program” in 1995, “The Revised Energy Conservation Law” in 1998, and the like. As a result, there is a great demand for electronic products with reduced power consumption and that allow users to contribute to environmental protection. The International Energy Star Program is an international energy-saving program for office equipment, which is implemented in seven countries. In the International Energy Star Program, a reference formula is set for each category of products. When a printing speed is inputted in the corresponding reference formula, a standard value is determined. Meanwhile, a measured value is calculated from a standard power consumption value (KWh) in a normal operation during a certain typical period by using a typical electricity consumption (TEC) measuring method. That is, the standard value of the International Energy Star Program and a measured value obtained by the TEC measuring method are references for measuring power-saving capabilities.
However, the image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei 7-129042 displays only power consumption values during the past one week or the past one month. No product displays these references for measuring energy-saving capabilities. Thus, users cannot determine if displayed power consumption values are appropriate in terms of energy-saving.